Coil handling apparatus



Feb. 12, 1963 w. ANGST 3,077,317

COIL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20, 1961 INVENTOR. WILLIAM E. All/6ST Attorney United States Patent 9 3,077,317 COIL HANDLING APPARATUS William E. Angst, Pittsburgh, Pa., assiguor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 153,458 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-79) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for handling a coil of strip material as it is taken from a coiling mandrel.

A conventional processing line for strip material (for example, a continuous annealing line for steel strip) includes a coiling mandrel at its exit end. Strip material winds on this mandrel until it forms a coil of convenient size, whichis removed from the mandrel and carried away for storage or further processing. The coil handling apparatus usually includes a hydraulically operated coil buggy which lifts the coil from the mandrel and removes it endwise. A ram tractor then engages the coil at its eye, lifts the coil from the buggy, and carries it away. Sometimes space is restricted to an extent that the tractor can approach the buggy only in a direction perpendicular to the direction of buggy travel. In such installations the buggy is constructed to turn the coil 90 on a vertical axis to enable the tractor to engage its eye. However, installations of this type have a disadvantage that either the tractor must take the coil from the buggy before the buggy can remove a second coil from the mandrel, or if a coil is stored temporarily at the end of the line, it must be reloaded on the buggy and turned 90 before the tractor can take it.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved coil handling apparatus which enables a coil to be stored temporarily at the end of a processing line where space is restricted and carried away later when convenient without need for re-loading it on the buggy nor holding up the next coil.

A more specific object is to provide an improved coil handling'apparatus which enables a coil to be turned 90 on a vertical axis from its position when taken from the mandrel, stored temporarily when thus turned, and subsequently taken directly by a tractor when convenient.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a coil handling apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, partly in section.

The drawing shows a conventional collapsible coiling mandrel and a cooperating coil buggy 12. The mandrel is located at the exit end of a strip processing line and it includes a suitable drive (not shown). A coil C of strip material winds on the mandrel, which can collapse in the usual way to permit removal of a completed coil. The buggy is located in a pit 13 below floor level and it runs along a horizontal track 14 in a direction parallel with the mandrel axis. A double-acting fluid pressure cylinder and piston 15 is operatively connected with the buggy for propelling it along the track. The buggy includes a platen 16, a double-acting fluid pressure cylinder and piston 17 operatively connected with the platen for raising and lowering it, and another double-acting fluid pressure cylinder and piston 18 operatively connected with the platen for turning it on a vertical axis. Since the foregoing parts are conventional, I have not shown their structure in detail.

In accordance with my invention, I mount a fixed horizontal support bar 19 across pit 13 at the end remote from the mandrel. I mount a retractable horizontal support bar 20 across the pit spaced toward the mandrel from the fixed bar. I show a reversible motor 21, a gear 22 driven by the motor, and a rack bar 23 fixed to the underside of bar 20 and engaging the gear for moving bar 20 between its retracted and extended positions, but it is apparent numerous equivalents are possible. Motor '21 is mounted in a suitable housing 24 beneath floor level. The floor at opposite sides of the pit carries guides 25 and 26 for bar 20.

When I wish to remove a completed coil C from mandrel 10, I operate cylinder 15 to position platen 16 directly under the coil, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2, and I operate cylinder 17 to raise the platen into engagement with the coil. I collapse the mandrel and operate cylinder 15 in the opposite direction to take the coil from the mandrel, and operate cylinder 18 to turn the platen and coil on a vertical axis, as FIGURE 2 indicates in dot-dash lines at C I operate motor 21 to retract support bar 20 to a position in which it is clear of pit 13, and I continue to operate cylinder 15 until the platen carries the coil to a position above support bar 19, as FIGURE 2 indicates in dot-dash lines at C I operate motor 21 to extend support bar 20 across the pit and then operate cylinder 17 to lower the platen and coil until the coil rests on the two support bars 19 and 20 free of the platen, as FIGURE 2 indicates in dot-dash lines at C Thus the coil occupies a position for its eye to be engaged by a ram tractor traveling in a direction perpendicular to the direction of buggy travel. I can move the buggy away for handling a second coil while the first coil is stored temporarily on the support bars. The platen of course can be lowered sufiiciently that it passes under the rack bar 23 when support bar 20' is extended.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my invention affords a simple apparatus for enabling a coil to be stored temporarily at the end of a processing line and picked up by a ram tractor when convenient. The apparatus overcomes the need to re-load the coil on the coil buggy, and trees the buggy for use in handling another coil while the first remains in temporary storage.

While I have shown and described only a single embodi-ment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a collapsible mandrel for coiling strip material and a cooperating coil buggy movable horizontally in a direction parallel to the mandrel axis and including a platen adapted to take a coil from said mandrel, means operatively connected with said platen for moving it up and down, and means operatively connected with said platen for turning it on a vertical axis, of a cooperating apparatus for temporarily storing a coil and thus freeing the buggy for handling another coil, said apparatus comprising a fixed horizontal supporting bar extending transversely to direction of buggy movement, a retractable horizontal supporting bar spaced from said fixed bar toward said mandrel, and means operatively connected with said retractable bar for extending and retracting it, said buggy being movable to a position within the space between said bars for placing a coil on the bars with the coil turned on a vertical axis 90 from its position on the mandrel.

2. The combination, with a collapsible mandrel for coiling strip material, a pit adjacent said mandrel, and a cooperating coil buggy mounted in said pit and movable horizontally in a direction parallel to the mandrel axis and including a platen adapted to take a coil fro-m said mandrel, means operatively connected with said platen for moving it up and down, and means operatively connected with said platen for turning it on a vertical axis, of a cooperating apparatus for temporarily storing a coil and thus freeing said buggy for handling another coil, said apparatus comprising a fixed horizontal supporting bar extending across said pit transversely to the direction of buggy movement, a retractable horizontal supporting bar extending across said pit spaced from said bar toward said mandrel, and means operatively connected with said retractable bar for extending and retracting it, said buggy being movable to a position within the space between said bars for placing a coil on the bars with the coil turned on a vertical axis 90 from its position on the mandrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. THE COMBINATION, WITH A COLLAPSIBLE MANDREL FOR COILING STRIP MATERIAL AND A COOPERATING COIL BUGGY MOVABLE HORIZONTALLY IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE MANDREL AXIS AND INCLUDING A PLATEN ADAPTED TO TAKE A COIL FROM SAID MANDREL, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID PLATEN FOR MOVING IT UP AND DOWN, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID PLATEN FOR TURNING IT ON A VERTICAL AXIS, OF A COOPERATING APPARATUS FOR TEMPORARILY STORING A COIL AND THUS FREEING THE BUGGY FOR HANDLING ANOTHER COIL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A FIXED HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO DIRECTION OF BUGGY MOVEMENT, A RETRACTABLE HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING BAR SPACED FROM SAID FIXED BAR TOWARD SAID MANDREL, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID RETRACTABLE BAR FOR EXTENDING AND RETRACTING IT, SAID BUGGY BEING MOVABLE TO A POSITION WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID BARS FOR PLACING A COIL ON THE BARS WITH THE COIL TURNED ON A VERTICAL AXIS 90* FROM ITS POSITION ON THE MANDREL. 